Influence of oxygen on the resonant photoacoustic signal from methane excited at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ν</Emphasis><Subscript>3</Subscript> mode

This paper shows that, when samples of methane in dry air are irradiated with an OPO tuned at the ν ₃ mode at 3019 cm⁻¹, the photoacoustic signal is lower than in mixtures in pure nitrogen. In order to explain this change, we developed a rate-equation-based model which describes the methane excitation and relaxation to heat by collisions with the buffer. In particular, we reduced the problem to a system of six energy levels taking into account the fast energy exchange between methane and oxygen resonant states and the slow relaxation rate of oxygen. Thus, the photoacoustic signal is calculated for methane–nitrogen and methane–air systems and a very good agreement is found with the experimental results.     

Improved sensitivity to charged Higgs searches in top quark decays t→bH+→b(τ+ντ) at the LHC using τ polarisation and multivariate techniques

We present an analysis with improved sensitivity to the light charged Higgs (m_H⁺ < m_t-m_bm_{H^{+}} < m_{t}-m_{b}) searches in the top quark decays t→bH ⁺→b(τ ⁺ ν _τ )+c.c. in the t[`(t)]t\bar{t} and single t/[`(t)]t/\bar{t} production processes at the LHC. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), one anticipates the branching ratio B (H⁺ ?t⁺n_t) @ 1{\mathcal{B}} (H^{+} \to\tau^{+}\nu_{\tau})\simeq1 over almost the entire allowed tanb\tan\beta range. Noting that the τ ⁺ arising from the decay H ⁺→τ ⁺ ν _τ are predominantly right-polarized, as opposed to the τ ⁺ from the dominant background W ⁺→τ ⁺ ν _τ , which are left-polarized, a number of H ⁺/W ⁺→τ ⁺ ν _τ discriminators have been proposed and studied in the literature. We consider hadronic decays of the τ ^±, concentrating on the dominant one-prong decay channel τ ^±→ρ ^± ν _τ . The energy and p _T of the charged prongs normalised to the corresponding quantities of the ρ ^± are convenient variables which serve as τ ^± polariser. We use the distributions in these variables and several other kinematic quantities to train a boosted decision tree (BDT). Using the BDT classifier, and a variant of it called BDTD, which makes use of decorrelated variables, we have calculated the BDT(D)-response functions to estimate the signal efficiency vs. the rejection of the background. We argue that this chain of analysis has a high sensitivity to light charged Higgs searches up to a mass of 150 GeV in the decays t→bH ⁺ (and charge conjugate) at the LHC. For the case of single top production, we also study the transverse mass of the system determined using Lagrange multipliers.     

Jet masses in e+e− annihilation

We calculate heavy (M _H ² /s) and light (M _L ² /s) jet masses up toO(α _s ² ) in perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). The sensitivity of these quantities to radiative corrections, quark masses, fragmentation effects as well as their infrared stability properties, are investigated and compared to those exhibited by other jet measures. A comparison with recent Mark II data is also presented.     

Hadron production from photon-photon interactions in the CM energy range from 1 to 5 GeV

We present the first data on photon-photon annihilation into hadrons for CM energies > 1 GeV obtained with the detector PLUTO at the e⁺e^? storage ring PETRA. Cross sections are extracted using an inelastic eγ scattering formalism. The results are compared to expectations from Regge-like models.     

Chiral separation of gamma-butyrolactone derivatives by gas chromatography on 2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl-beta-cyclodextrin

The chiral GC separation of 2-alkyl-2-keto-gamma-butyrolactone derivatives and their alcohol analogs using 2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMETBCD) as chiral selector was discussed. The results, supported by the ketone preliminary molecular modelling calculations, suggest that the chiral recognition for DIMETBCD depends more on the geometry than on the polarity of the alkyl substituents on the butyrolactones. Hydrogen bonds and alkyl group steric effects should be an important function of the alcohol chiral recognition for DIMETBCD. Comparison of the retention times of the alcohol derivatives, in achiral and chiral stationary phases, suggests a specific structural effect for the cyclodextrin selctor.     

Phenolic potential of Tannat, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot grapes and their correspondence with wine composition

The phenolic potential of Tannat, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot grapes was evaluated in 2001 and 2002 and its correspondence with the colour and composition of the respective wines was established. Three vineyards of each variety, situated in the south of Uruguay were considered. Two samples of each vineyard were taken at the moment of the harvest. Phenolic richness, extractable anthocyanins contents and total potential in anthocyanins of the grapes were estimated. Two fermentations on skins were carried out for each vineyard using 50 kg of grape in each one. The anthocyanic and total polyphenols contents of the musts were analysed every 24 h, and skins extractions were carried out in parallel in the laboratory. The duration of the maceration for each variety was decided in function of the analytical results in the grapes, musts and skins extractions. Wines were analysed 2 months after the alcoholic fermentation, determining its phenolic composition and colour. Tannat grapes presented anthocyanic and total polyphenols contents significantly higher in both years. Therefore, wines from this variety presented colour intensity and phenolic contents statistically higher than Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot. The correlations between the phenolic contents of the grapes, skins, musts and wines were very significant. Colour intensity and phenolic contents of the wines were highly correlated with the total polyphenols of the grapes and with anthocyanins of the grapes, skins, musts and wines. The estimate of the phenolic potential of the grapes and the extractability of the pigments allows to manage more adequately the fermentation on skins and is an interesting tool to predict the colour and the composition of the wines.     

Expanding the carbo‐Benzene Chemical Space for Electron‐Accepting Ability: Trifluorotolyl/Tertiobutyl Substitution Balance

With the view to altering the lipophilicity and electron accepting ability of the tetraphenyl‐carbo‐benzene scaffold, peripheral fluorination of the C₁₈ ring through aromatic linkers was envisaged from the C₁₈Ph₆ and o‐^tBu₂C₁₈Ph₄ references, by replacement of two Ph substituents with two p‐CF₃‐C₆H₄ counterparts (^FTol). The synthesis relied on a [8+10] macrocyclization involving a common bis(trifluorotolyl)‐tetraynedione, followed by reductive aromatization of the resulting [6]pericyclynediols. While p‐^FTol₂C₁₈Ph₄ proved to be hardly tractable due to an extremely low solubility, p‐^FTol₂‐o‐^tBu₂C₁₈Ph₂ could be extensively studied by X‐ray crystallography, NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, voltammetry, STM imaging of monolayers, and AFM imaging of binary films with P3HT or PC₇₁BM fabricated by spin‐coating for organic photovoltaic cells and J?V curve measurement thereof. The electronic and polarity properties are correlated with moderate but consistent electron‐withdrawing effects of the CF₃ groups, in agreement with the DFT‐calculated frontier orbitals and multipole moments. The results provide guidelines for optimization of fluorinated carbo‐benzene targets.     

Quenching effects on pulsed photoacoustic signals in NO2–air samples

A theoretical expression for the pulsed photoacoustic signal amplitude from NO₂–air mixtures is deduced based on a two-level system and the inhomogeneous wave equation, in the limit where the V-T relaxation time is longer than the laser pulse width (low buffer pressure). In this time limit, the photoacoustic signal from NO₂, at constant pressure, after excitation by pulses from a Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm, is measured at different buffer pressures. The relaxation rates are obtained by measuring the quenching of visible fluorescence induced by the same laser. The experimental dependence of the photoacoustic signal amplitude on air pressure shows a very good agreement with the model, where the measured relaxation rates are included.     

Design,synthesis,characterization,cytotoxic and structure activity relationships of novel Ru(Ⅱ) complexes

Platinum containing compounds have shown antineoplastic potential, but their clinical applications have been limited by high toxicity. Ruthenium containing complexes have long been known to be well suited for biological applications, and have long been utilized as replacements to popular platinum based-drugs. Here, we report a novel series of ruthenium(II) arene compounds bearing thiosemicarbazone and isonicotinylhydrazone ligands with potent anticancer activity their structure activity relationships and apoptosis was studied. The cytotoxic activity of the new ruthenium(II) arene compounds has been evaluated in several cell lines (Molt 4/C8, L1210, CEM, HL60 and BEL7402). Among them, ten complexes were found to be excellent in vitro growth inhibitory activity against various cell lines with IC50 in the sub-micromolar range.